Steven Woletz, 46, has been charged with one count of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, after he allegedly left a voicemail in which he threatened to kill the governor.

During the pandemic, the number of low-income and disabled people who received government-backed health care grew in Illinois, and across the country, because at the height of COVID Congress made it illegal for states to kick anyone off Medicaid.

Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff and former campaign manager, who hired Quentin Fulks as her 2018 deputy, described him as a “soft-spoken” but skilled operative who understands Democrats’ uneasy coalitions

WTTW News analyzed state salary data and found some departments got smaller or had a noticeable uptick in employees leaving. Even in agencies that grew, employee churn was evident. We walk you through the numbers. 

The competitive grants were awarded to 70 nonprofits providing social services in Illinois. The funds will help organizations address physical construction and accessibility improvements.

The victory was a coup for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who urged national Democrats to pick Chicago, even though Illinois has not been a true swing state for more than a generation.

“Those who want to see our city divided, today this is a very clear day, an indication that those are the politics of old,” Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson said Friday.

“We should put the right to choose on every ballot across the country in 2024 — not just with the candidates we choose, but with referendum efforts to enshrine reproductive rights in states where right-wing politicians are stripping those rights away,” Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker told CNN.

Local officials in the south suburbs are renewing efforts to get a regional airport to take flight. The idea for a third Chicago area airport has been floated for decades, and not lightly — Illinois has spent close to $100 million to buy land

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill requiring employers to offer workers a minimum of five days of paid time off. One hour of paid leave is earned for every 40 hours worked.

Come next year, a new law will mandate nearly all Illinois employers give their workers a minimum of five paid days off, for any reason.

A report examining the capacity and condition of Illinois’ response to behavioral health in young people has been in the works for nearly a year. It sketches avenues to help families understand mental illness, then make it easier for them to get required care without wrangling among disparate state agencies.

Ratings agency S&P on Thursday moved Illinois’ bond rating up a notch, from BBB+ to A- on general obligation bonds. It’s the agency’s third upgrade since the summer of 2021.

The Chicago area was DeSantis’ third stop after visiting New York and Philadelphia, so the tour will certainly be cast as part of his early exploration of a White House run.

The legislation would take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Employees will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked up to 40 hours total, although the employer may offer more. Employees can start using the time once they have worked for 90 days.

Guns classified by the state of Illinois as "assault weapons" have been banned since Jan. 11. That means that hundreds — perhaps thousands — of guns can no longer be legally sold in Illinois. Those who already own guns and ammunition covered by the ban can keep them; they must be registered with the state.